More than a dozen people, including women and children, were injured when a quick bus overturned near the Razzaqabad Police Training Center in the Shah Latif area on Friday after a reckless attempt to overtake a water tanker on National Highway, Express News reported.
According to rescue officials, the incident happened when the water tanker persistently hampered and pressed the bus from behind in a seeming attempt to pass. In response, the bus driver accelerated, but lost control of the vehicle that turned away from the road and hit a path.
The impact threw several passengers from their seats, many of which suffered head injuries after beating the bus’s iron fixtures.
Edhi Foundation Volunteers Sajid Pathan and Abid Rasheed said the bus carried members of a family from Orangi Town on his way to Kalri Lake for a picnic.
While many originally rejected medical assistance, police and rescue workers convinced them to receive first aid. At least six passengers with more serious injuries were transported to a nearby hospital.
Read more: Karachi Road -Accident leaves two dead as bus loses control
Those who were wounded and brought to the hospital were identified as Mukhtar Ahmed (48), Mehtashim Hussain (25), Naveed Hussain (18), Azeem Shakir (20), Naqqash (20), Guldhan (26), Farhan (30), his sister Sehr (20), younger brother Arman (17), and their father Qadir Hussain (58).
A number of female passengers refused to be taken to the hospital and instead requested to return home. Police said the tank driver managed to escape the stage and is not yet traced. A case is likely to be registered.
The incident highlights the growing dangers of unregulated commercial traffic and reckless driving on Karachi’s most important arteries, especially on weekends and holidays when family outings become more frequent.
Last year, a similar tragedy unfolded in the Mauripur area, where seven picnickers – including three children – were killed and 14 others wounded after a coaster collided with a trailer and overturned. This accident also involved families heading for a picnic.
